


23 Days of Wonder.

by Anonymous



Category: NCT (Band), WayV (Band)
Genre: Angels, Christmas, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Ice Skating, M/M, Platonic Relationships, Snow, Soulmates, WayV - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:27:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27980754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: 23 Days of Wonder drabbles!— Day 5: "Ice Skating" (DoWin)— Day 6: "Cuddles" (DoWin)— Day 7: "Bedtime Story" (DoTae) ●— Day 9: "Domestic" (NoRen) ●"Night and Day" - Once upon a time, there was a pair of best friends: night and day."Wind Down" - Renjun was just trying to finish his assignment, but Jeno had other plans involving food and cuddles.
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Donghyuck | Haechan, Huang Ren Jun/Lee Jeno, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Lee Taeyong, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Qian Kun, Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Park Jisung/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 2
Kudos: 99
Collections: Anonymous





	1. O Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [#23DaysOfWonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic/status/1336330145406144517?s=19)
> 
> — Day 1: "Mistletoe"

Christmas - for many, inarguably the most beautiful time of the year.

 _It is, it really is_ , Kun thought or, well, tried to convince himself as he sat in a pile of chewed up and tangled Christmas decorations.

Louis and Bella, their beloved pets, had _thoroughly_ gotten into the Christmas cards Kun had written with all sorts of glitter pens, the garlands he had cut into snowflake shapes and the various stars and trees he had made out of paper.

There was nothing to salvage, no note to be handed out, no paper star to be hung up; he had looked through the mess carefully, thus his sitting in the middle of it.

So, after weeks of preparation for a special day he wanted to spend with his friends and his special someone, he was left with approximately nothing as his hard work had been destroyed and soaked in puppy drool and covered in kitten scratches.

He had had bad luck the entire day, too; the streets were filled to a point of suffocation, thus the shops he needed to get to being stuffed as well, and then they didn’t even have the seasoning he needed and then he dropped his hat into a puddle of melted snow and then he was forced to make a detour on the way home and then-

_Deep breaths, deep breaths. Not everything is gone yet._

The only things still intact were the presents he had placed in the living room only after the worst of it had happened and the food he had yet to finish preparing, which he couldn’t be more thankful for, even if it didn’t change the fact that he had promised everyone a phenomenal Christmas that was going to turn out more mediocre than anyone would’ve expected.

He was still surprised at how well he kept his composure, because he was sure he was on the edge of tears the entire time he tried to fix everything, and if anyone had witnessed him in his state, the dam would certainly break.

As if on cue, Lucas, arms filled with gift bags and wrapped presents, walked into the living room of their dorm.

And, bless his heart, but the last thing Kun needed was Lucas’ cheerful and positive encouragement, because he had already mostly failed to organize the perfect Christmas party and wouldn’t be able to bear the heartbreak he knew he’d cause him.

“Hey- what happened here, Kun-ge?”

Lucas walked around the mess that was Kun and placed his presents down while he inspected their surroundings.

“Aw, no! This can only be the work of the babies,” he said and kneeled down in front of Kun as he looked through the smudged cards and shreds of paper while Kun put on his best smile to hide how close he was to breaking down.

“I’m.. sorry. I don’t- I don’t know how they managed to do it, but they did and now I don’t have any decorations left for the place,” Kun said, trying not to lose all hope for the evening.

“Don’t worry about it, Kun-ge! We have presents, the food and each other, that’s what matters the most right now!” Lucas chirped happily, squishing Kun’s cheeks in his hands before standing back up and picking up what has now essentially become trash.

“And Doyoung-hyung probably cares the least, he’ll only be here for you after all. So don’t forget the mistletoe!”

With that, Lucas carried the trash out and left him in the living room and, trying to make the most out of it, Kun made up his mind to at least cater an amazing Christmas meal for Doyoung, who made the decision to spend Christmas with him instead of with his family, before he hung up the final touch in the living room: the mistletoe.

It was practically all he could think about; seeing Doyoung’s overjoyed expression at the sight of his favorite foods, the present he had been talking about non stop that Kun had bought for him, standing under the mistletoe while their friends made fun of them for being too cliché.

Or maybe it was less than that - it definitely was. Seeing Doyoung was all he could think about and that was it. And for that reason, it had to be extra special.

And he was incredibly proud of and excited for the dinner because he had made steamed rice cakes, loads of dumplings, beef bulgogi, noodles and..

Roast duck.

Kun had, no, had _wanted_ to make roast duck.. and he hadn’t made it yet because..

It was still in the oven.

It was exactly that moment he, and apparently also the rest of the members, realized there was a certain smell in the dorm.

Almost in time with the alarm were the surprised yells by the others as they had ventured out to find the source of said certain smell and were confronted with a smoky kitchen.

Kun’s eyes widened in realization that came too late and he sprinted to the kitchen to see Lucas turning the smoke detector off and Ten furiously fanning the oven.

“Oh no..” Kun whispered to himself as he walked closer to see the duck that was, indeed, burnt to a crisp.

Anytime now, the dam would break anytime.

“Oh God, the smell is horrible.. it’s okay though, Kun-ge, we still have everything else,” Sicheng said as he carefully took the duck out of the oven and covered it.

“Yeah, we have so much food and enough time to clean up before Doyoung comes over,” Ten added and patted his back, while Kun could only stare at the remnants of his duck.

Adding the main meal to the list of all the things that had already gone wrong was too much for Kun to bear.

The tears were already welling up in his eyes, having done an honorable job at keeping themselves out of his “situation”, he knew his voice would break if he said anything.

As Xiaojun and Hendery tried their best to save the kitchen in an attempt to make it easier on Kun by opening windows and flailing their arms around, Yangyang joining them soon enough, he stood by the entrance of the kitchen.

All he could muster up the courage to do without breaking out in tears was to smile and shake his head. He knew it wouldn’t convince them, but he could try.

After the kitchen was back to its prior state, Kun excused himself to go to his room.

Ten bit his lip, holding back the words, because he didn’t know what they were.

“We’ll get you when Doyoung’s here, alright?”

 _Right, Doyoung_ , he thought as he nodded and made the pitiful march to his room with his head hanging low.

He entered his room and sat on his bed, defeat written across his face. The mistletoe he had been so giddy to put up because of how cheesy and funny it was laid on his nightstand.

He grabbed it, turning it over in his hands, as the tears bounced off of it. And looking at it, in combination with all the failures of the day, only made him sob harder.

Dropping it into his lap, he put his face into his hands and he felt even worse for not being able to stop crying on a day that was supposed to be free of stress - despite the stress it caused - and full of happiness and hugs and gifts.

It wasn’t about stupid little DIY projects or the duck or the cold he was sure to get.

It was about how the entire dorm had agreed to spending Christmas together at the dorm - which may have been a horrible suggestion by Kun in the first place - and missed the opportunity to stay with their families just for Kun to screw it all up.

It was about how Doyoung would show up any moment to see Kun moping in his room all alone with the ruined party at his feet, showing him that he probably should’ve gone home to his own family instead of trusting Kun to prepare the special day.

And he knew very well Doyoung would never even think that of him in the slightest, but what was a bit more fuel to the flames? If he was miserable already, a little more misery couldn’t hurt, is what his brain seemed to think.

Kun was sure his eyes were fully swollen by now and his throat felt like it too. He rubbed at his face, desperately trying to get a hold of himself, taking deep breaths.

And because Doyoung was his very own guardian angel that would never cease to show up at exactly the right times, there was a knock on his door.

“Kun?”

Hearing his voice amplified the shame he felt and he couldn’t help another rush of tears.

But this time, Doyoung was there.

He sat next to him on the edge of the bed, immediately wrapping an arm around him to pull him closer towards him and Kun gratefully curled into him.

“Hey, why are you crying?”

“Because everything is ruined,” Kun replied through his tears.

“It’s not-”

“It is. You could’ve been with your parents and your brother and I’m sure they’re having a way better night than us,” he said and wiped at his eyes with his sleeves before pressing his face into Doyoung’s shoulder.

Doyoung furrowed his brows, trying to pry Kun off of him to look at his face, which the other wouldn’t allow.

“Please, don’t say that. You’re just as important to me as them, Kun, you know that,” he said with so much conviction and love in his voice, it dumped another load of feelings on top of Kun’s already overflowing feelings.

“I’m just sorry, I’m so sorry nothing worked out today.”

Kun nuzzled further into Doyoung’s neck, arms loosely around his waist as his sobs died down and his shoulders stopped shaking.

“Look at me, okay?,” Doyoung said as he took Kun’s face into his hands, gently brushing the tears away,

“Everything’s fine. I promise, it is. Why would anything else matter as long as you’re here with me?”

He looked right into his eyes and made good on the words he spoke, making Kun feel like the black bird in his kitchen wasn’t as bad as he made it out to be, that Doyoung loved him anyway.

Kun finally managed to nod, a gentle smile spreading on his face as his now dried eyes allowed him to see the boy in front of him in all of his comforting, soft-looking glory.

He leaned back onto him when Doyoung tightly wrapped his arms around him, humming gently to the tune of O Christmas Tree, eliciting a series of giggles from Kun.

“We should join the others, they’re waiting for us so we can finally eat the amazing food you made,” he hummed, making no effort to actually get up.

“In a bit,” Kun said, feeling like he could melt into Doyoung and not have a care in the world for anything else.

“Kun?”

“Yes?”

“Look up.”

Kun had always thought he was the worse romantic out of the two in their relationship, but was proven utterly wrong when Doyoung genuinely, unironically, called for him to look up only to hold the mistletoe, that had fallen from Kun’s lap onto the bed and then gotten into Doyoung’s hands, above their heads and press a kiss to his lips.

They weren’t a new couple by any means, but two years had flown by too quickly and Kun felt the heat spreading from his neck, all the way up to his ears, like they had never kissed before.

The kiss was as soft as everything about Doyoung was and he had to bring a hand up to cover half of his face when Doyoung pulled away, sheepishly hiding his face.

“You’ve always wanted to do that, but we never got around to doing it, because you were too embarrassed to do it in front of anyone else,” Doyoung mumbled into the crown of Kun’s head, placing more kisses onto the fluffy hair.

“I can’t believe you actually just did that,” Kun said and placed another kiss of his own to Doyoung’s cheek.

“Well, I did,” Doyoung replied with an amused glint in his eyes that made Kun shake his head.

“Merry-” Christmas was what Kun had wanted to say seconds before he was interrupted.

“Hey, the ‘Merry Christmas’ wishes are for everyone!” A voice that was unmistakably Hendery’s voice rang out from behind the door.

“Way to blow our cover,” they heard Sicheng mumble.

“Sorry.. anyway, come out and let’s celebrate!”

And after joining them, with all of his friends munching on the food that didn’t burn, praising him like it was the best meal they had had in their lives, he realized that it was only them who mattered.

Them, and Doyoung, who was tying the mistletoe to the lamp in the living room because its job was far from done.


	2. The Sun in the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for [#23DaysOfWonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic/status/1336330145406144517?s=19)
> 
> — Day 2: "Angel"
> 
> · Donghyuck is the angel that comes to play in the snow once every year.

The sight of thick layers of crisp white snow outside of his house on Christmas day made Renjun jump out of bed instantly, running down the stairs excitedly to tell his mother. 

He begged her to let him play outside after breakfast, already looking for his favorite blue gloves as he gave his mother no choice but to agree with a sigh.

Renjun hurriedly slipped on his jacket, only slightly struggling when he tried to put on his boots. He couldn’t wait to jump right into the fluffy white snow, throwing it up in the air and tossing snowballs.

When he finally made it outside, he wasted no time in getting his hands right into the snowfall to start making his first snowballs, already planning on putting some aside to make the tallest snowman yet.

The entire streets had turned white, the houses decorated with beautiful lights radiating warmth in contrast to the freezing weather.

Renjun didn’t care about how cold it was or how red his little nose would get; winter time was the best time of year.

He’d spent hours and hours admiring the quiet, serene winter setting as he played by himself. Getting home to a cup of hot chocolate was only the cherry on top of cuddling into his soft blankets and polar bear plushies with freezing little fingertips and reddened round cheeks.

Just as he was about to start rolling the middle ball of his first snowman, a young boy around his age approached him.

“Can I play with you?” The boy asked, big round eyes practically twinkling at him. His skin seemingly also sparkling in stark contrast to the pale snow surrounding them.

Like the sun, Renjun thought and blinked at the boy.

“Of course,” he replied with a beaming smile, “I’m Renjun.”

The boy happily joined him in making his snowman, patting on more snow.

“I’m Donghyuck,” he hummed.

They played side by side, in silence at first, the snowman growing bigger and bigger and Renjun noticed Donghyuck wasn’t wearing a hat or gloves.

“Aren’t you cold? I can ask my mom to give you a pair of my gloves,” he asked as they put the snowballs on top of each other.

“No, I don’t get cold,” Donghyuck said, continuing to stick his small hands into the snow.

Renjun blinked in confusion, but shrugged in the end. Donghyuck was a bit weird, but that was okay. He was a good friend to play with. He helped Renjun with his, but also started on his own army of little snowmen trailing behind their big one.

“They all have to follow him because he’s the oldest!” He explained, his high-pitched giggles making Renjun smile.

Donghyuck’s smile was incredibly contagious, as bright as the sun, and, as they kept working on their snowmen, shoulders bumping together when they searched the ground for anything they could use as their eyes, arms and noses, Renjun’s lips kept curling up every time Donghyuck playfully threw little pieces of snow at him.

But he soon got bored of decorating snow with twigs and leaves, looking around the patches of snow they hadn’t gotten at yet for something else to do.

He let Donghyuck continue working on their snowman and walked a few steps further. 

Then, he carefully laid down in an untouched spot, spreading his arms out. He watched the clear grey sky above as his arms fanned out, moving up and down and making an imprint in the snow.

He tried not to mess the shape up as he slowly crawled back up, dusting the snowflakes off himself and putting his hands onto his hips proudly while he inspected his work.

“Look at my snow angel!”

Haechan furrowed his brows, looking at the strange shape Renjun had left in the snow, tilting his fluffy head of brown hair at him.

“An angel?”

“Yes, an angel! You can try it too!” Renjun exclaimed and pointed at his snow angel.

“I don’t look like that, do I?” Haechan asked as he looked at his hands and down his legs, looking back at the ground in comparison.

“Um, no?”

It was Renjun’s turn to tilt his head at him, examining Donghyuck’s small frame for any similarities with the angel on the ground. 

Donghyuck hesitantly tried to make a snow angel himself, but was rather disappointed with the outcome.

“That doesn’t look like me..” 

“It’s a snow angel, that’s why it doesn’t look like you,” Renjun replied, but he wasn’t exactly sure if that was the answer Donghyuck had been looking for.

Donghyuck didn’t seem to care all that much anyway, gathering snow from the ground and building it up into low snow mountains.

And because all was easier in childhood, Renjun simply joined him in patting them to smooth them out without another word, their little fingers mostly patting on top of each other.

Renjun didn’t know how much time had passed, but it felt all too soon when his mother called out to him from their house, announcing lunch time.

“Oh, my mother’s calling me, I have to go now,” Renjun said, reluctantly standing up from his crouched position.

“Oh no, but we were just making our bumps,” Donghyuck said with a pout, like snow bumps were actually a thing. The sadness in his voice convinced Renjun of their legitimate existence nonetheless.

“Maybe we can play again tomorrow?”

“I can only be here for Christmas Day, though,” the boy with the glowing skin replied, “but we can play again next year!”

Renjun hummed in thought. _Only next year?_

He didn’t question it any further, his mother was waiting for him after all. So, he offered the boy a smile instead.

“Okay!”

Donghyuck smiled back and waved at Renjun when he walked away and up to the front door of his house.

Renjun turned back one more time before he closed the door and noticed how, even in the beaming blanket of snow laying around him, that drowned everything else out in its light, the hazel-eyed boy stood out, somehow shining brighter with his sweet smile in a way Renjun couldn’t explain.

All he knew was he’d remember the sparkling boy in the snow who was disappointed he didn’t look like the angel on the ground.


	3. An Odd Fairytale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for [#23DaysOfWonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic/status/1336330145406144517?s=19)
> 
> — Day 3: "Fairytale"
> 
> · Little Red Riding Hood Chenle meets the scary wolf in the woods.

When Little Red Riding Hood entered the woods, a wolf came up to him.

With dirty grey ears poking out of a head of thick black hair, the boy mustered him with bright, big eyes. 

Chenle took note of his gaze and approached him with a soft smile. He clutched his basket tightly in one hand, bringing the other up to lower the velvet hood, inspecting the boy closer.

“Hello,” the wolf said, circling him curiously.

“Hello,” Chenle answered back and smiled gently at the other.

The boy pulled back, an obvious frown on his face. Chenle stood patiently, unphased by the expression, and reached into his basket to take out an apple he had received from an old lady on the way.

“Here,” he said as he offered it to the wolf, “my name is Chenle.”

The pointy ears perked up, his eyes widened the slightest bit as he hesitantly took the apple from Chenle.

“I am Jisung,” he replied carefully, stroking the red skin of the apple, shyly averting his gaze.

“Nice to meet you, Jisung,” Chenle began, “do you like apples? I have another one if you like.”

Jisung looked at him like he had said an insult, staring at him with glassy, deep eyes. He tapped the apple in his hands, looking back and forth between Little Red Riding Hood and the fruit almost nervously.

He opened his mouth to speak, but seemed to hesitate once more. His little ears flattened against his head and his frame slumped as he tried again.

“Aren’t you scared of me?” He asked, tail unsurely tucked between his legs in an odd contradiction with the words he spoke.

“No, what do I have to be scared of?” Chenle kept his soft smile and carefully approached him further.

The wolf furrowed his brows, stumbling back a step when Chenle extended a hand towards him.

“Can I touch your ears?” Little Red Riding Hood asked with a voice as warm as the look in his eyes.

The conflicted glint in Jisung’s eyes would not fade, but he seemed to accept the request, tilting his head towards the boy sheepishly.

A bright smile adorned Chenle’s face and he brought his hand up to scratch at one of the wolf’s ears, giggling when it twitched beneath his fingers before relaxing.

Jisung’s nose scrunched at the touch, leaning into it momentarily before the slender fingers retracted. Chenle thanked him for letting him feel the soft fur of his ears and the wolf contemplated the generous look on his face.

Mustering up enough courage, Jisung slowly spoke up, voice coming out just above a whisper.

“I want to show you something,” the boy said with shy eyes, watching the other expectantly.

Chenle didn’t miss a beat, nodding quickly in an instant. He trusted Jisung to lead the way, not once questioning his motives and the wolf looked over his shoulder every other moment to see Chenle still trudging along behind him excitedly, seemingly without any intent to abandon him.

“They’re beautiful!” Chenle exclaimed as he skipped over to smell the colorful flowers Jisung had presented him with.

He plucked a few of the sweetly scented flowers into a lively bouquet, placing the delicate petals into the crook of his arm.

“Which ones do you like the most?” Chenle asked the boy, holding a couple of them up to him.

Assessing his options closely, Jisung finally pointed to a blue Morning Glory. His tail had relaxed in the end, the tips of his ears flopping down calmly as his eyes followed the flower in Chenle’s hands intently.

Tucking the vibrant Morning Glory into the fur by his ear, Chenle beamed at him, stroking behind the ear on the other side.

Jisung’s fingers touched the flower on his head, securing it properly.

“Thank you,” he said and gave Chenle his first smile back, eliciting an even wider grin from him.

“You are very welcome,” the boy with the deep red hood said as he pulled it back over his head.

And so Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf sat by the edge of the flower bed, the last rays of the sun hitting the velvet hood on Chenle’s head, making it glow a vibrant red.

Jisung admired the sight of the Little Red Riding Hood..

..or, the only boy that, instead of flinching at the sight of the wolf, placed flowers in his hair and talked to him kindly - the first friend he ever made. 


	4. Byzantine Blue Scarf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for [#23DaysOfWonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic/status/1336330145406144517?s=19)
> 
> — Day 4: "Scarf"
> 
> · Johnny wondered what his soulmate had to do with the shade of blue in his dreams.

Another dream, another sleepless night for Johnny.

Every night, he dreamt of a blue flash, an indescribable blur of color.

Every night, he tried to figure out what it could mean, what it could stand for.

He knew it was supposed to be a hint; something that, if he saw in real life, would mean that he had finally met his soulmate.

But, despite his hardest efforts, waking up immediately after seeing that flash and trying to make out what it could’ve been, he had no luck. And he was getting worried that he wouldn’t even recognize his soulmate because he had no idea what he was looking for.

He sat up, the sheets pooling at his waist. He leaned against the headboard and ran both of his hands through his hair.

It was just the same thing, over and over again, night after night.

His mind was racing like it always would, desperately looking for any details he may have missed - he never did - that would bring him closer to his soulmate.

He rubbed at his eyes and groaned at the time on the alarm clock on his nightstand. It read 5.54 AM.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had had a sound night’s sleep. And it made him jealous of all his friends who had gotten the easiest signs he could’ve thought of.

Mark had seen the sun, Kun an apple.

Alright, maybe those hadn’t been that easy either, but still. They had found Donghyuck and Ten and all he had to go on was a splat of blue.

Sighing to himself at another night’s interrupted sleep, he stood up and opened his curtains, being blinded by the scenery outside.

There was snow covering every bit of the previously green patches of grass and cold streets, sky still tinted a deep dark grey.

Winter had arrived.

-

The streets were packed to the brim as Johnny tried to make his way through the masses of people.

That’s what he got for leaving anything until the last second. He should’ve bought the ribbons for his presents way before, but they were only a finishing touch anyway.

He was getting more and more irritated by the minute, especially when a particularly rude person hurriedly rushed past him, shoving his shoulder so aggressively, he almost dropped his bags of additional decoration he had bought.

He cursed after the figure with the deep navy hat, they could’ve at least mumbled an apology.

Johnny continued his way, passing metres of long, blinding Christmas lights decorating the city. And, as if he needed something else to occupy his already full hands, his phone rang.

He stopped by a small shop to take the call, switching all the bags to one hand.

“ _Hey hey hey ,_ ” Taeyong’s voice rang over the phone and Johnny felt his irritation ease.. almost.

“Now’s not the best time, Yong,” he sighed, trying not to drop his shopping bags.

“ _I can tell, but I need you to get something for me, please?_ ”

Johnny groaned internally, squeezing his eyes shut before taking a deep breath.

“Fine, what is it?” He asked and threw the nth person who had just run into him, someone with an alarmingly neon blue colored messenger bag, a glare because the universe hated him today and sent every annoying person his way who couldn’t watch where they were going. He wasn’t even standing in the way, it was outrageous.

“ _You’re the best! I just need more wrapping paper, any kind will do. I kinda messed up while wrapping some presents.._ ”

“How many rolls of wrapping paper does it take you to wrap a gift?”

Taeyong’s huff was as clear as it would’ve been had he stood right in front of Johnny.

“ _Stop, I literally just ran out, I only ripped a corner of it, but it’s too noticeable._ ”

“Yeah, okay, whatever, I’ll go get it now. It’s crazy here so I need to hurry,” Johnny said as he tried to adjust his grip on the bags.

“ _Your fault for going last minute. But, who knows, maybe your soulmate’s just as disorganized and you’ll run into them!_ ” Taeyong chirped in total contrast to the despair Johnny was in.

“I’m not disorganized-”

“ _Whatever! Thanks, I’ll see you later. And good luck!"_

Before he could protest any further, Taeyong had already hung up on him.

Deciding he had already wasted too much time, he quickened his pace to reach the closest store he could get to to buy Taeyong’s stupid wrapping paper.

By the time he had bought enough to hopefully last Taeyong one more Christmas and left the store, snowflakes had begun falling once again.

His stress seemed to fade as he looked up to see the sky covered in white specs, creating an ethereal atmosphere along with the warm Christmas lights all over. A moment of peace amidst the busy shoppers running from left to right.

It came to an end all too soon when someone, probably the 6th person of the day, bumped his shoulder roughly.

“Sorry-"

Johnny was so close to blowing up at the next person that crossed his way, but it was like the world froze when he looked up to see who had disturbed him.

The sudden adrenaline rushing through his body the moment his eyes shifted from where they had been fixed on the sky felt like he’d been struck by lightning.

A blue flash. The indescribable hue of a blur.

It was a momentary pounding in his head before he could focus on the person standing in front of him, seemingly just as shaken as him.

The boy stood before him wore a blue scarf, loosely wrapped around his neck with its ends lifting and unraveling in the wind, a few snowflakes caught in the wool. And the images of Johnny’s confusing dreams cleared up in an instant.

His body refused any command to move, instead recalling every single second of every dream he had had. The smudges of blue, a shade of it he still couldn’t find the words to describe, came into focus and in the end formed the image of a soft, knitted scarf.

Exactly the one he was presented with now.

“Hi,” the shy voice called out.

His soulmate.. he had finally found his soulmate.

“Hello.”

Silky black hair, covered in white specs of snow, fair skin and reddened cheeks - his eyes were sharp and clear, his voice gentle and yet firm.

The boy held a big bag in front of him, slim fingers curled around the handles as he mustered him with a smile so sweet, Johnny knew he would’ve fallen in love with him at first sight - had he not already been his soulmate.

“I’m Doyoung.”


	5. Pure As Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for [#23DaysOfWonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic/status/1336330145406144517?s=19)
> 
> — Day 5: "Ice Skating"
> 
> · Working at the ice rink got a lot more interesting when Doyoung met a certain, pretty figure skater.
> 
> Or, five times Sicheng wrapped him around his finger on ice.

The first time Doyoung saw him, the boy stood at the very edge of the ice rink. 

He had been scanning over the crowd of adults and children with varying levels of skill skating around on the ice. A few show-offs catching his eye every now and then before he directed his attention back to checking on everyone.

The boy with deep, chocolate brown hair stood at the edge, watching the crowd as well. Doyoung didn’t know what he was doing, maybe he was trying to build up the courage to start skating because he wasn’t confident enough, maybe he was looking for a clear space to skate on since it was a busy day.

Doyoung followed him all the way up until the exit of the rink where the boy stepped off the ice and took off his skates.

Then, he was back to keeping an eye on the wild skaters.

-

The second time he recognized him, he realized how wrong he had been the first time.

Doyoung was working an early shift at the ice rink, getting the equipment ready for the day and checking around the rink.

There weren’t many people that early on in the day, but there was one particular boy entering with a packed bag thrown over his shoulder.

Doyoung remembered later on where he had seen him before and wondered what he’d be doing on the ice at this time, as he didn’t look like he had much experience before.

But oh was he proven wrong.

He had just been sweeping the floors around the ice, checking if there was any trash left behind any seats or anything else he needed to fix, when the boy with the fluffy brown hair got onto the ice.

Doyoung focused on him as best as he could from the distance and watched him practically fly on his skates across the frozen ground.

The thin, long lines of his body were hard not to gawk at as he made it look like he was born walking on ice, like it was only natural.

He watched the skilled skater glide over the ice for a few more moments, seeing him furrowing his brows when he misstepped on a particular turn or threw his head back in frustration before continuing like nothing had happened at all.

In the end, he had to get back to work. And staring at the only person skating wasn’t nice anyway.

As reluctant as he was to tear his eyes away from the pretty figure on the blinding ice, he turned his back to him and walked off to his spot at the reception, trying to remember how the boy had landed his jumps so effortlessly.

-

The third time he found himself staring too long, he helped him.

Doyoung’s early shifts had gotten the tiniest bit more interesting once the boy started coming in regularly every morning to skate, at a time where he had the entire ice rink to himself.

Any free second he’d get, he’d try to catch a glimpse of the boy, even if he wasn’t supposed to be walking near the ice all the time.

And whenever he did, he was left awestruck.

Whoever he was, the boy who slid over the ice with the utmost elegance, writing a poem across the ground, knew what he was doing. The way he held himself, head turning up towards the ceiling as he leaned back into a curve, was mesmerizing, the way he moved his arms along, smoothly flowing in line with the shape of his body and concluding his figure, it was all too entrancing.

Doyoung knew it was strange to stare so shamelessly, but it wasn’t everyday that he saw, who was essentially, the most graceful athlete he had seen on the job.

So, he kept looking at him from afar, unnoticeable to the single person on the ice. And it was a good thing he did, because the next time the boy landed his jump, he could see his ankle give in and bend under the weight of his body.

Doyoung cringed at the sight, watching the boy fall to the ground with a dull thud and wrapping his hands around his calf and ankle. He tucked his chin towards his chest and seemed to inhale deeply in an attempt to calm himself down from the shock and pain.

It was then that Doyoung realized this was actually one of the things he was supposed to be doing, instead of enjoying the free ice skating show: going up to him and helping him.

He shook himself out of his daze and quickly put on his own pair of skates to meet the boy in the middle of the ice rink, ice pack in hand.

“Hello, are you okay?” He asked softly once he was within reach for him to hear.

Doyoung hadn’t been able to take a closer look at the boy’s face, but maybe it had been for the better. Because now, he was convinced the boy sat in front of him must’ve been some type of superhuman. As if his skills hadn’t already done the worst to Doyoung, he was now looking right at his sharp, sparkling eyes and flawless skin up close.

“Um, yes, I’m fine,” the boy mumbled, mostly to himself, still massaging his ankle.

He smiled at him gently, trying to make him as comfortable as he could on the cold, hard ground.

“That looked pretty rough. Can you walk so we can get you off the ice and take a look at your ankle?”

The boy looked at him unsurely, his dark eyes mustering Doyoung skeptically before looking back at his ankle and finally, after some contemplating, nodding.

Doyoung helped him up and kept an arm around to support him until they could get back on the dry ground.

The boy walked to sit in one of the chairs just outside the ice rink, slightly limping as he tried not to put any more pressure on his injured foot. He sighed deeply and rubbed his hands over his face, obviously irritated at his mistake, but keeping his complaints to himself.

“You should go easy on that leg for a couple of days, although I know you come in here daily,” Doyoung joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“It’s.. it’ll be fine soon.”

Doyoung only offered him another smile, providing him with another chair to prop up his foot while the ice pack laid on it.

“Still, gotta be careful with that. A pro like you probably can’t afford to mess it up even further,” Doyoung said as he adjusted the chair for his foot.

And for the first time, he was presented with a small smile back.

“Thank you,” the boy said shyly and Doyoung could see the tips of his ears turning pink.

Doyoung sat down on the chair next to him, in silence at first, before he spoke up.

“So, what’s your name?” He asked calmly, trying to play it off casually, like he hadn't been wanting to ask ever since he first saw him.

“I’m Sicheng,” the boy replied with his deep voice, occupying himself by switching the places he pressed the ice pack onto.

“Nice to meet you, I'm Doyoung," he said and extended a hand towards him.

Sicheng smiled softly with a polite nod, shaking his hand gently and thanking Doyoung for his help.

-

The fourth time he cheered for Sicheng during his practice, he smiled at him brightly, leaning against the barricade around the ice.

“Good job!” Doyoung yelled and applauded when Sicheng perfectly executed the triple axel.

Sicheng giggled shyly as he made a big loop on the ice, holding two thumbs up. He came closer towards Doyoung, completely breathless and hair all tousled from all the attempted jumps, yet still smiling sweetly.

Doyoung handed him a bottle of water, smoothing Sicheng’s hair down gingerly while the other gulped down the water and smiled at the gesture. 

“The extra hours the past few weeks really paid off,” he said as he pulled his hand back, eliciting an exaggerated sigh and a nod from the other.

Over the past month, after they first talked when Sicheng had injured himself, they’d taken to chatting whenever Sicheng would come to practice. Sometimes, when Doyoung wasn’t working, he’d still stand at the sidelines and watch his practices.

Sicheng, as it turned out, was just as shy as a friend as he’d been when they had first talked to each other. He seemed quiet most of the time, silently practicing by himself before he left, although Doyoung had seen the odd excited hop he did that was so incredibly adorable when he nailed a move or Doyoung told him a bad joke.

And to see his smile felt like a reward, simply because it was such a pretty one and Doyoung had told him as much after seeing it a couple of times. Sure, it had been a bit bold, but Doyoung felt like he was only stating the obvious. It had left Sicheng speechless nonetheless as he dismissively laughed it off.

“I was close to going insane,” Sicheng said as he stretched his back, “I just had to get over the mental hurdle to do it, but I thought it wasn’t going to happen.”

“I knew you’d get it down eventually, so I wasn’t worried," Doyoung grinned at him as he folded his arms on top of the barricade.

Sicheng tilted his head at him playfully and put both his glove clad hands on either side of Doyoung’s arms on the barricade. Doyoung’s grin didn’t fade and he only leaned up to stare further into his eyes with the ‘I told you so’-glint in them, making the other laugh.

“I appreciate your support,” Sicheng said sincerely.

Doyoung’s smile deepened, “you’re very welcome.”

-

The fifth time Doyoung stepped onto the ice with him, Sicheng held his hands.

“I know how to skate,” Doyoung mumbled, still firmly grasping Sicheng’s hands. 

“I know,” Sicheng replied, a fond smile on his face.

The older shook his head and let himself be pulled along on the ice as the music for Sicheng’s routine played.

“You think you can do my routine with me?” Sicheng asked, a challenging gleam in his eyes as he lead him by the hand.

“You’re so funny,” Doyoung replied sarcastically and Sicheng could only roll his eyes.

“I think you can.”

“I really, really doubt it, Sicheng,” Doyoung said, “I said I can skate, but that didn’t really include the fancy jumps.”

“Just try it? I’ll make sure you don’t fall,” Sicheng offered, “I’ve seen you do more than just basic jumps, I really think you could do it.”

At the pleading look in his eyes, Doyoung would’ve needed to be the biggest jerk in the world to refuse. He looked back and forth between the ground and Sicheng and finally mustered up the courage to even just attempt what the younger executed with an otherworldly ease.

He had seen the routine enough to know the basic order of the jumps, but he had never seriously tried to do any of it other than for a laugh. And it’s not like Sicheng made him feel pressured in any way, no, he was very patient and encouraging, but Doyoung still felt slightly embarrassed to try his own routine in front of him.

Sicheng went first and made a big curve on the ice to get enough space in between them as he went into the first jump, a triple axel.

He knew it was a difficult one, but Sicheng had gotten it down so perfectly by now, he rarely ever missed it. 

So, with the pressure on and Sicheng standing on the other side of the ice watching him expectantly, Doyoung inhaled deeply and started building up the momentum for, definitely not a triple axel, but maybe a single axel. That seemed like a reasonable start.

And Doyoung could already feel it as he took off; his landing wasn’t going to be pretty. He jumped off on the wrong foot, his position had been all wrong and he practically stumbled into the air.

But before he hit the ground, he was caught. 

Sicheng had made his way over to him in the fraction of a second to stabilize him just in time to keep him on his feet. Doyoung let out a frustrated noise and clung onto Sicheng, shaking him slightly.

“I said I’d catch you,” Sicheng giggled, “and that was already good, just try again. You don’t have to do the triple, but you have more than enough skill to do the double.”

“Your faith in me is really cute, you know that?” Doyoung threw back with a nervous laugh at which Sicheng shook his head with a smile.

He made another round around the ice to gather himself for another attempt while Sicheng skated back over towards the edge.

 _I can do at least one rotation_ , he thought and prepared himself to jump again, more mindful of his steps this time.

And when he built up his speed again, concentrating more on his timing, he successfully made it up into the air and to his own surprise, managed one.. two.. three rotations?

He landed on the ice with the sharp sound of his blades hitting it and immediately turned to find Sicheng.

“Was that a triple?” Doyoung, moreso exclaimed rather than asked, with wide eyes, shocked at his own luck. 

“You saw how long it took for me to be able to effortlessly land the triple,” Sicheng started with his hands on his hips, “and now here you are, landing a triple while attempting the double.”

He skated closer to Doyoung and held his hand out for him again. And, once again, who was Doyoung to refuse him?

“I barely managed a double, like, once in my life!” He excitedly told Sicheng, holding onto his hands as he watched his smile grow wider.

“I told you you could do it,” the younger said and pulled him along all around the ice.

Doyoung laughed as they skated around carelessly, hand in hand, and he thought he could get used to this.

And, if only he knew, Sicheng thought the same.

How much he’d love to hold his hand and feel the cold air on the ice hitting their faces everyday, how he’d be fully content coming to the ice rink only to see Doyoung’s encouraging smile, hear his kind words and be surrounded by his seemingly endless optimism.

He surely didn’t expect to be met with someone as genuine as Doyoung when he moved cities and started visiting the new ice rink in the area, but he couldn’t say he wasn’t relieved every time he entered the building only to see Doyoung’s bright smile greeting him, making the usually gruelling hours he’d put into practice all that easier to get through, having him there to cheer him on.

With Doyoung, everything seemed easy. Talking to him was easy, complaining to him was easy, practicing with him was easy; hitting the ground wasn’t so bad anymore with him being there every time with the cutest worried expression on his face.

And, especially on the ice, with their fingers laced together and the air filled with gentle laughter, falling for him was the easiest.


	6. Whispers and Cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for [#23DaysOfWonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic/status/1336330145406144517?s=19)
> 
> — Day 6: "Cuddles"
> 
> · Doyoung isn't sure whether Sicheng is completely honest with his struggles. Sicheng reassures him with cuddles.

“You’re always so cold, hyung. I can practically feel it whenever you walk past.”

“You should warm me up, then.”

The look on Sicheng’s face was priceless, Doyoung thought; he furrowed his brows, scrunched his nose and pressed his lips into a line as he paused in the middle of taking his shirt off.

“I thought you didn’t do bad pick-up lines?”

“I don’t. Only the best of the best for the best,” Doyoung replied proudly, a toothy grin appearing.

Sicheng exaggerated the sigh that escaped him as he continued changing into his sleeping shirt, shaking his head like he was trying to shake the smile off his lips.

Ignoring Doyoung’s following attempts at “getting him into bed” with comedical clicks of his tongue and whistles, while they were actually getting into bed, Sicheng folded his clothes before walking over to other’s side of the bed, putting his hands onto his shoulders.

“Stop,” he said while trying his hardest to keep a straight face. His efforts proved to be in vain, the unconscious part of his brain never failing to mirror the smile that grazed his partner’s face.

In return, Doyoung brought his own hands up to Sicheng’s face to squish his cheeks from both sides.

“Never.”

Yet another over dramatic sigh left Sicheng and he slumped down onto the bed defeatedly.

“This is my side, roll over.”

“Make me."

The younger giggled, but complied nonetheless, just in time to save himself from Doyoung’s fingers trying to tickle him into submission.

The light atmosphere in the small space of their shared bedroom made it all the easier to waste time joking around when they were supposed to go to sleep. It was a rare occasion, them being able to exchange meaningless chats without the rush or stress of having anything else to do.

What would usually be rushed whispers of goodnight and the occasional brief brush of their lips was now a calm Saturday night they could drag out to their heart’s content, the following day leaving them the liberty to sleep in and do basically nothing.

Doyoung loved those nights the most and, ironically, the best way to make the most out of them was to do the least possible amount of anything else but cuddling up together.

He admired the boy in the bed for another second - hair tousled up from rolling around, a lazy smile on his face and exuding the softest air of comfort and warmth - before turning the lights off and joining him in bed.

The moment he had pulled the blanket over them, Sicheng close to forced himself into the space between Doyoung’s arms, his back pressing against Doyoung’s chest. Just like how easy it was to love Sicheng, it was easy for Doyoung to let his hands slide down his arms and find his hands, tangling them together as he pressed his nose into the head of fluffy brown hair. 

He held him close and, with darkness engulfing their room, he started letting his mind settle into the serenity of the night. Any thoughts he’d usually have, anything he’d stress about during the day was forgotten, Sicheng occupying every bit of his brain with his comforting scent, gentle breaths and delicate fingers stroking across Doyoung’s own.

It was a time that reminded Doyoung of what life was about and how lucky he was to have found his happiness and home with Sicheng. He’d deny it everytime, just because he wanted to, not because it wasn’t true, but he could never help getting overly sentimental at times like these.

And Sicheng knew; which was exactly why he’d firmly grasp Doyoung’s hand and bring it up to place a kiss on his knuckles as they melted together in the still of the night.

“Are you thinking?” Sicheng asked and accompanied it with a chuckle.

Doyoung gave a little laugh of his own and hummed in confirmation, enclosing Sicheng tighter in his arms.

“Well, you know me. What about you?”

“I’m.. thinking too.”

“About me, I’d hope,” Doyoung said and Sicheng held in the urge to make a snarky remark; he’d leave that for the morning.

“Of course,” he answered instead and pressed up further against Doyoung, closing his eyes and smiling contently, ready for sleep to take him.

Doyoung, as he said he was doing, kept thinking about Sicheng and was grateful he wouldn’t be able to see the frown appearing on his face as he did. Because the more he thought about it, the more Doyoung felt like there was something in their relationship he wanted to address, but couldn’t because he wasn’t sure what exactly it was.

He began tapping against Sicheng’s hand absentmindedly, stroking over the skin gently as he tried to put his thoughts into words. He was sure the boy in his arms could feel him working up the energy to spit it out.

“I have something to ask,” Doyoung finally said, knowing it probably wasn’t a surprise to the other.

“Okay?” Sicheng signalled for him to continue.

But Doyoung still seemed hesitant to ask, his fingers stopped playing with Sicheng’s and he let his arms fall loosely around his waist instead. 

“You know I’m always here for you, right? For anything?”

Sicheng furrowed his brows, staring into the dark space of their bedroom before he abruptly turned over to lay on his stomach with his elbows propped up.

“Where’s that coming from?”

He couldn’t see much of the other’s face, but what was visible in the sheer moonlight entering through the partially drawn curtains were the big, doe eyes that looked up at him unsurely.

“I’m.. I don’t know, I just wanted to say it, I guess,” Doyoung said, chewing on his lower lip and tracing indiscernible patterns on the blanket wrapped around Sicheng.

“Of course I know, hyung. You’ve done so much for me, you’re always there. Why would I think otherwise?”

Doyoung only sighed, “I wanted to make it clear again, that’s all.”

Sicheng looked down onto his pillow, contemplating the older’s words.

“Are you sure that’s it?” He asked, thinking of whatever he could’ve done to make Doyoung feel the way he did.

And, just as he had suspected, it wasn’t all.

“I.. guess not.”

Thoroughly out of the loop, Sicheng laid back down on his side, facing Doyoung, who was now avoiding his eyes.

“Hyung, what is it then? What’s wrong?” Sicheng desperately tried to pry an answer out of the other.

“You’d tell me if anything was wrong, right?”

Sicheng looked at him with searching eyes, clearly confused. Doyoung stroked a finger over his forehead to smooth the wrinkles that had formed.

“Sometimes I feel like you still hold yourself back when you’re feeling bad about something,” he began and let his fingers travel down the curve of his cheek, ”and I don’t want to force you into anything, but I’m just saying I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about anything, no matter how big or small the issue.”

Sicheng hesitated and he was sure Doyoung could feel him tense up slightly as he gathered his thoughts. 

He covered Doyoung’s hand with his own and squeezed it firmly.

“I am comfortable talking to you. I know I keep things to myself sometimes, but that’s just.. a habit, I think. I’m not used to it, but you help me make it better.”

The words came out in a whisper, but he wasn’t sure that he could articulate his feelings any louder. Had it not been for Doyoung, he probably wouldn’t have said anything at all.

It was beginning to nag at his mind, knowing his tendency for secrecy and how it was the complete opposite to Doyoung’s transparency. 

Not that it happened often, but whenever there were any unusual or tense feelings between them, it was always Doyoung who’d lay his heart out for Sicheng to see, with an ease that was unknown to the latter. Doyoung never hid how he felt, he didn’t get overly emotional either.

He seemed to know how to fix anything, or at least that’s how it looked to Sicheng. He had no fear of being vulnerable and sharing his feelings openly and it was perfect not to let any misunderstandings come between them. 

Doyoung had a very special way with words. They never felt forced or irrational, he spoke with absolute clarity at all times. Whether it was during an argument or simply when he was declaring his affection for Sicheng, it seemed effortless, natural. It never made Sicheng uncomfortable or feel obligated to say something to match the sentiment.

He much preferred to convey his feelings in his own way, which Doyoung more than welcomed. And he couldn’t thank him enough for it after all the times he’s had to explain himself to others, how he hadn’t intended for something to come off a certain way. He was tired of explaining himself, that was it.

“You’re so cute,” Doyoung giggled, interrupting Sicheng’s reverie, “I couldn’t help it, sorry.”

“I will tell you if anything’s wrong, I promise,” Sicheng said with a look of utmost concentration on his face, it made the other smile even harder, ruffling the younger’s hair.

“Of course. I know and I love you, okay? We should really sleep now or else we’ll be up all night,” Doyoung effortlessly concluded their conversation with a final kiss on top of Sicheng’s head.

The feeling overcoming Sicheng after his words were overwhelming to say the least - it was a feeling he closely related to Doyoung, one he rarely paid much attention to, until it was about the older. Any attempt to describe it had been futile, he had tried many times before. His mind would always end up in a lump that somehow consisted of infatuation, security, admiration and an odd feeling of serenity in equal parts.

Sicheng finally gave in to his body’s urge to relax and wrap himself around Doyoung. He slid his arms around his waist and pressed their foreheads together; the side of him that was exclusive to Doyoung.

His silent way of saying I love you, trying to contain all the emotions he felt in a simple hug, was a stark contrast to Doyoung’s eloquent and sensitive approach.

They fit right together, locking in at all the right places, even literally as they laid pressed up against each other with Doyoung’s fingers pressing gently into the back of his neck, Sicheng’s own pressing into his hips before wrapping around his broad shoulders to pull him closer.

And, despite everything, both ways were identical in their meaning;

Sicheng’s cuddles meant just as much as Doyoung’s consistent, three-worded reply.


	7. Night and Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for [#23DaysOfWonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic/status/1336330145406144517?s=19)
> 
> — Day 7: "Bedtime Story"
> 
> · Once upon a time, there was a pair of best friends: night and day.

“Once upon a time, there was a little boy.

A boy like every other. A boy with parents who only wanted the best for him, a boy who liked candy and loved to sing and dance around.

A boy with eyes as bright as the moon, a heart as pure as the night sky.

He had everything he could ever want in life. Nothing could ever suck the joy out of him, he wouldn’t let anyone get him down. 

The little boy brought kindness everywhere he went and whatever, whoever, he was faced with, it’d be his shield, his answer. Because the little boy only ever wanted others to be as happy as he was and he’d extend a helping hand towards anyone in need.

Yes, even the smallest boy could observe his surroundings and know exactly what to do to make sure everyone had a smile on their faces. 

Be it his innocent attempt at singing his own favorite song, in hopes his crying friend would like it too, or the way he’d split his lunchbox with the little girl whose mother had forgotten to pack hers - he’d always go out of his way to make someone’s day better. 

But, despite everything, something had always been missing.

Despite his age, he knew he felt lonely.

Despite his cheerful soul, he wondered where he fit in.

Despite his kind heart, he wondered if there ever would be anyone who’d hold his hand in guidance for once.

Why were all of his friends always playing in pairs? With the same person, day after day?

Why did no one ever want to leave their friend, even just once, to play with him?

His naive mind tried its best to put the pieces together. He wondered if he hadn’t been nice enough, if he had said something to upset them.

He wondered what was wrong with him. Why did no one ever like him as much as they liked someone else? Why did he never have a best friend like everyone else?

The boy wondered, and he kept wondering for many days. For days and weeks, for weeks and months.

And one day, there was finally a light to complete his day - the sun to his moon.

The bright-eyed boy he met that day was nothing like any other child he’d ever met.

The boy with the sweet smile and round scar under one of his twinkling eyes had approached him gingerly, asking to use the same plastic shovel on the playground.

The once lonely boy couldn’t describe the other very well other than that he was warm. What did that mean? That he was warm, simply warm. His face, his smile, his voice - he was warm and cozy.

The warmth of a sunny day to the cold of his starry night.

He wasn’t alone anymore. He was never really alone before, but he never felt as complete as he did with his new friend with the scar that reminded him of a rose.

He realized how much more fun he had playing the same games he did before, now with someone radiating love wherever he went. Someone who passionately shared every bit of joy he felt, shining through the clouds on a moody day.

A boy with eyes glowing like the fiercest fire, a heart as gentle as the morning sun.

And they became inseparable, no force could keep them apart.

From the minute they woke up, until the moment they slept, they were together. They grew, they fought and cried together.

Others made fun of their close bond, called them names and mocked them.

But the boys didn’t mind - as long as they could live happily ever after, as long as they were together.”


	8. Wind Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for [#23DaysOfWonder](https://twitter.com/littlewonderfic/status/1336330145406144517?s=19)
> 
> — Day 9: "Domestic"
> 
> · Renjun was just trying to finish his assignment, but Jeno had other plans involving food and cuddles.

“Renjun-ah.”

“...”

“Renjun-ah."

“..."

“Renjun-ah.”

“...”

“Ren-"

“Oh my God, fine. I’m coming, please stop.”

Jeno smiled at the other cheekily, happily pulling back Renjun’s chair from his desk as the other shut the lid of his laptop with a sigh.

“You know, if I fail my classes, it’s on you,” he accused Jeno, running a hand through his hair and down his face as the other turned him around in his chair to face him.

Jeno didn’t seem phased in the slightest by the remark, holding onto both armrests on Renjun’s chair and leaning even further down towards his face, making him squirm.

“You’re telling me not submitting that assignment you’re handing in voluntarily to improve your already excellent grades, one that you can submit anytime you want at that, is going to make you fail your classes?” He threw back with a raised brow, watching Renjun’s eyes narrow.

“...”

“So?”

“Shut up.”

“I don’t think I will,” Jeno replied with his deceivingly sweet eye smile, extending his hands for Renjun to take, pulling him up from his chair.

Jeno laughed as Renjun lazily slumped into his arms, refusing to keep himself upright, which he didn’t fight in the slightest. In fact, he wrapped his arms around the other’s waist in order to lift him over his shoulder.

Renjun broke out into laughter and tried to wiggle himself out of his boyfriend’s hold, failing miserably and letting himself be carried to the living room reluctantly.

“It’s the weekend, the holidays are pretty much right around the corner, you can take a break for once,” Jeno said as he let the other down onto the couch gently.

Renjun rolled his eyes at him, mumbling, “I would’ve finished soon anyway..”

Jeno mustered him skeptically, shaking his head with a soft laugh and leaning in to place a kiss on Renjun’s cheek.

“I cooked for us earlier and then you left to write your assignment before we ate, saying the exact same thing. The food’s frozen at this point,” Jeno said with both hands on his hips as he stood tall in front of the other.

“That’s not how it works,” Renjun mumbled again, crossing his arms which only elicited another sigh from Jeno and a hand in his hair, ruffling through it roughly.

“Let’s eat now and watch a movie after, okay? It’s such a beautiful night too, the snow outside is so pretty and it’s just a shame to do work when you could.. cuddle with me instead.”

Renjun cocked an eyebrow at him at the latter part, but cooperated with Jeno in the end to set the table for them to enjoy their dinner.

The playful banter followed them to the kitchen table as they laughed in between every bite, occasionally poking their utensils into the other’s plate to steal something.

Jeno ended up piling on the food on Renjun’s plate anyway, contently watching him eat to his heart’s content under the warm light of the kitchen. The atmosphere in the room was nothing like the cold breeze outside. Instead, it felt like home, comforting and cozy and filled with meaningless jokes and happy smiles.

After continuing their little games at the kitchen sink with Jeno purposefully bumping their hips and shoulders as they washed the dishes and Renjun putting a glob of foam onto Jeno’s cheek in retaliation, they managed to get themselves back on the couch.

Renjun pulled the blanket higher over their bodies as the other looked for a movie. He smiled to himself, knowing the movies they watched usually served the only purpose of being background noise to their hushed conversations and whispers of sweet nothings.

They were halfway into some romcom Jeno had picked when Renjun began to feel the sleepiness creeping up on him which didn’t go unnoticed.

Jeno adjusted their positions, tucking the blanket around Renjun securely and keeping an arm around him so he could rest against him comfortably.

“Thanks for cooking and making us watch a movie,” Renjun said, placing a well-intended but rather sloppy kiss on Jeno’s neck gratefully as his eyelids began feeling heavier and heavier.

“Was it worth leaving your assignment for?” Jeno asked, watching the other’s sleepy expression with a fond smile. He stroked his hair away from his eyes, tucking the short strands back before letting his finger travel over the soft skin of his cheek.

Renjun, nuzzling further into his arms, hummed in response, wrapping himself around Jeno tighter than before. His head rested on the other’s chest comfortably, listening through the faint beating of his heart as Jeno placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.

“I wouldn’t mind failing my classes for you,” Renjun murmured drowsily, words barely above a whisper.

Jeno had to try his best not to disturb the other who was falling asleep slowly but surely, but the compliment was just so typically Renjun and so genuine, despite how silly it sounded, it made him laugh and his heart beat faster, hopefully not fast enough to wake Renjun.

And soon, his boyfriend had drifted off to sleep and Jeno couldn’t have been more thankful for being able to hold Renjun in his arms like this.

He giggled to himself, placing another kiss on the other’s face and shutting the TV off, joining Renjun in his dreams.


End file.
